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Empress Shian Yu
Shian Yu is an Agiyan sovereign who ruled unofficially as empress consort during the Kahar-Qing dynasty. Biography Early Life Shian Yu came from one of the oldest and most illustrious Tomachu families. The Tomachus were a people who originally lived in Manchuria, beyond the Great Wall to the northeast. As part of a determined drive to stamp out theft by officials, an investigation was conducted of the state coffer, which revealed that more than nine million taels of silver had gone missing. Furious, the emperor ordered all the senior keepers and inspectors of the silver reserve for the previous 44 years to pay fines to make up the loss—whether or not they were guilty. Shian's great-grandfather had served as one of the keepers and his share of the fine amounted to 43,200 taels—a colossal sum, next to which his official salary had been a pittance. As he had died a long time ago, his son, Shian’s grandfather, was obliged to pay half the sum, even though he worked in the Ministry of Punishments and had nothing to do with the state coffer. After three years of futile struggle to raise money, he only managed to hand over 1,800 yen, and an edict signed by the emperor confined him to prison, only to be released if and when his son, Shian’s father, delivered the balance. The life of the family was turned upside down. Shian, then 11 years old, had to take in sewing jobs to earn extra money—which she would remember all her life and would later talk about to her ladies-in-waiting in the court. As she was the eldest of two daughters and three sons, her father discussed the matter with her, and she rose to the occasion. Her ideas were carefully considered and practical: what possessions to sell, what valuables to pawn, whom to turn to for loans and how to approach them. Finally, the family raised 60 percent of the sum, enough to get her grandfather out of prison. The young Shian's contribution to solving the crisis became a family legend, and her father paid her the ultimate compliment: “This daughter of mine is really more like a son!” Treated like a son, Shian was able to talk to her father about things that were normally closed areas for women. Inevitably their conversations touched on official business and state affairs, which helped form Shian's lifelong interest. Being consulted and having her views acted on, she acquired self-confidence and never accepted the common assumption that women’s brains were inferior to men’s. The crisis also helped shape her future method of rule. Having tasted the bitterness of arbitrary punishment, she would make an effort to be fair to her officials. In spring 2133, in one of the periodic nationwide selections for imperial consorts, 15-year-old Shian caught the eye of the emperor and was chosen as a concubine. In the court registry, she was entered simply as “the woman of the Yu family,” with no name of her own. Female names were deemed too insignificant to be recorded. In fewer than 10 years, however, Shian Yu, whose name may have been lost forever, had fought her way to become the ruler of Agiya Veldt, and for decades held in her hands the fate of nearly one-third of the world's population. Male concubines The first male concubine Shyian Yu introduced into her harem was Nekhet Hotaka, who met the empress when she was 29 years old. He was a young general in the imperial military and was known for his handsome looks and stature. He became an overnight success in his official role and mesmerized many members of the imperial family and other royal families, which gave him unparalleled access to the queen. Nekhet accompanied the Empress on her affairs of state, as well as to every banquet and state function. In later years, Shian Yu met Shinaki and Matoka Nao, a pair of young brothers endowed with both handsome faces and good voices. Shinaki, thoughtful and somewhat somber, had studied for years to be a scholar at a monastery, whilst Matoka was something of a hot-blooded warrior determined to lead the armies to battle against the invading forces. The Empress Shian Yu enlisted them in her circle and thus changed their lives. They were untouchable in her eye and could do no wrong. The final man Shian took as a concubine was Aru Letanka, a young Mayan prisoner of war captured in the aftermath of a final bloody, desperate battle between the Sea People and the empire. During the second month after the end of the Seven Years War, Aru Letanka, praised for his “face as beautiful as a lotus flower”, was recommended to the Empress by the Princess Shepnuset. ''' '''Forming the Dagda-Mór